Why are our Wild Rivers threatened?

The most pervasive of these threats are dam and weir construction and large-scale irrigated agriculture. Together they greatly alter the natural flows, water quality and shape of river systems.

This means that migrating fish cannot move up and down streams and that wildlife and plant habitat is destroyed. Importantly, it also disrupts the life cycles of many species (such as the reproductive cycle) that have adapted to natural flow conditions, so cannot handle such abrupt changes. This includes the marine environment, where natural water and nutrient flows are critical to life.

Land clearing for agriculture also greatly affects our wild rivers, causing mass soil erosion and salinity problems, as well as cutting off important connections and wildlife corridors between land and rivers.

Invasive weeds and pests are another major threat to the health of our wild rivers. For example, the rapidly spreading Tilapia fish, known as the rabbit of Queensland’s waterways, quickly out-competes local fish species and clouds the water through incessant digging. Introduced invasive pasture species, such as Para and Gamba grass, are another example of this kind of immense threat, as they quickly displace native grasses and clog waterways. Rubbervine is yet another invasive weed that is rapidly choking our northern wild rivers.

On top of this, climate change is testing the natural bounds of our wild rivers, with more erratic rainfall and flows, and the real risk of sea level rise, which will dramatically affect estuaries and cause salt water intrusion further up river systems.

In early 2007 the Federal Government committed $10 Billion to help fix the chronic environmental problems of the Murray-Darling Basin caused by the threats above. This sum is just the tip of the iceberg, as it does not include all the costs borne to communities for ongoing river restoration and the loss of beautiful places and numerous species, which are incalculable.

Despite these very clear lessons and the economic consequences of river and land mismanagement, there is an increasing push to exploit our remaining wild rivers, particularly in Northern Australia.

With these clear and present threats, it is critical that we protect our wild rivers now and demand a different approach to river management – one that recognises the primacy of conservation and river health.